Double Dragon Neon a faithful, but flawed, nostalgic ride

Posted by segamesandgadgets on October 10th, 2012

Much of my childhood was spent in the cramped arcade room of a local bowling alley, my parents buying peace and quiet one quarter at a time.

A lot of classic video games came and went from that makeshift daycare over the years, but it’s side-scrolling beat-em-up Double Dragon that’s etched most distinctly in my memory. Twenty-five years and several sequels later, tough-guy brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee return for an all new adventure in Double Dragon Neon ($10; PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade), a faithful homage that recalls all the nostalgic goodness — along with many egregious missteps — of a long-lost period in gaming history.

Developer WayForward Technologies’ tale opens in familiar fashion, with Billy’s girlfriend Marian kidnapped by street thugs and the brothers in hot pursuit. You’ll have to pummel your way past waves of enemies to complete the rescue mission, picking up weapons along the way and collecting cassette tapes to upgrade powerful special abilities.

The tapes fit perfectly with the game’s over-the-top ’80s flair. Mullets, ripped sleeves and air guitar celebrations are on are full display as the brothers set out to prove there’s no problem a few well-thrown punches won’t fix.

The outrageous antics aren’t just visual, either. Instead of fighting run-of-the-mill criminals this time around, the brothers tangle with jetpack-clad jerks, skeleton dominatrices and an obnoxious antagonist by the name of Skullmageddon. At one point, players battle a carnivorous plant with a shark’s head at the end of one tendril and a fire-breathing dinosaur on the other.

The learning curve is steep early on until you get your hands on songs that grant powerful bonuses. Once you gain the skills to conjure fiery dragons and absorb health by attacking your enemies, most of the difficulty drains away.

For better or worse, it’s impressive how true WayForward stays to the series’ roots. Combat feels like a trip back in time, and the game’s old-school soundtrack had me humming along to music I thought I’d long-since forgotten.

WayForward also tips its cap to longtime fans of the series with several subtle references. Skullmageddon decries the slaughter of countless Williamses (the name shared by generic henchmen), and two lumbering enemies appear in reference to a typo that found its way into Double Dragon III.

There are times when this strict commitment to the established formula is a detriment, as well. Old problems like a lack of checkpoints, cheap deaths and dropping your weapon whenever an enemy lands a hit make for moments of absolute frustration.

The characters simply don’t react with the fluidity and control players have come expect from modern games. Movement is rigid, often interrupted by attacks, and it’s easy to throw punches at thin air if you’re not lined up exactly with your target.

Worst of all, Neon adheres to the woefully outdated concept of lives — originally a means to bilk kids out of their hard-earned change. You begin with three, and if you run out mid-level you’re forced to start over from scratch. Several times I died after whittling a boss down to his last ounce of health and had to slog through the entire stage all over again.

One aggravation-saving improvement thankfully does appear. Falling off the map no longer costs an entire life, but rather about a third of the health bar. More minor tweaks of this nature would have made for a much smoother overall playing experience.

Just like the arcade games of yesteryear, the best way to tackle Neon is with the help of a friend. It’s all the more puzzling, then, that at launch players could only team up via local co-op. WayForward plans to patch in online multiplayer soon, but until that happens the game is sorely missing a major selling point.

Even with company, don’t expect much replay value. The campaign lasts between 2-4 hours, with higher difficulty levels unlocked after beating the game. The urge to return and max out special abilities, however, doesn’t nearly outweigh the frustration and tedium of multiple playthroughs.

Once you’ve basked in nostalgia and enjoyed the absurd ride, you’ve seen all Double Dragon Neon has to offer.